


The Secret Santa of Cubicle Land

by followyourenergy



Series: Mistaken Identity [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Secret Crush, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:07:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/followyourenergy/pseuds/followyourenergy
Summary: Castiel Novak has never loved the workplace Secret Santa tradition, but he loves watching his coworker (and his very straight, secret crush) Dean Winchester’s enthusiastic responses to his daily gifts. Dean is so enthusiastic that he declares he’s going to ask his Secret Santa on a date.They’re both in for a surprise.





	The Secret Santa of Cubicle Land

**Author's Note:**

> Pure Christmas fluff. A Merry Christmas if you celebrate, and best wishes for a beautiful 2019! <3

_Secret Santa, Day 1_

“Dude! Pie!”

Castiel Novak spins in his rolling desk chair, watching his friend Dean Winchester open his first Secret Santa gift. He’s never loved participating in the tradition anywhere else he’s worked—buying multiple gifts for coworkers isn’t his idea of a great use of his time or money—but, like everything else, Dean improves the experience. He loves watching Dean’s green eyes light up, his excitement obvious in the way he gleefully pops the plastic container open and inhales half of the cherry concoction despite the fact that it’s nine in the morning.

“What’d you get, Cas?” Dean asks, sucking juicy, ruby red pie filling from his thumb and index finger.  

_Oh, do you really want an answer to that?_ Castiel thinks, shifting subtly in his seat. Knowing Dean’s talking about his Secret Santa gift and not his body’s reaction to Dean sucking his digits, he answers with a chuckle, “A three-pack of mint gum. I hope that’s not some sort of subtle hint. I’m going to feel paranoid now.” He takes off his blue suit jacket and hangs it behind him.

“Dude, I think you already feel paranoid. You chew gum all the time,” Dean grins.

_Yes. Paranoid around you._ Castiel shrugs. “I like to have fresh breath. Never know.”

“What, you think if your breath is fresh all the time, someone will come by and smooch you?”

“I can hope. It works so well in the commercials.”

Dean laughs. “I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet. You’re so much prettier than anyone in those commercials.”

Dean pinches his cheek. Cas scoffs and turns to check his email.

_Secret Santa, Day 2_

“Holy shit! I LOVE these!” Dean holds up pairs of R2D2 and C3PO socks.

“Good for your collection of ‘fun’ socks.”

“I heard the derision in your voice,” Dean says, side-eyeing him with a smile.

“I would never deride a fully-grown man’s decision to wear movie characters on his feet,” Cas teases, ignoring how adorable the pout that follows is. Better not to think about it. “What are you wearing today?”

Dean rolls his chair into Cas’ cubicle. “You wanna know what I’m wearing, Cas?” he smirks. Cas rolls his eyes. His straight friend seems to like the challenge of making the office gay guy blush. It hasn’t worked yet, and Cas is determined that it won’t. Dean waggles his brows, then laughs and lifts his pant leg. “Check it out: spaghetti and meatballs. And guess what I have for lunch?” He waves his hands in a jazzy motion.

“Oh my God, Dean, you are such a dork,” Cas laughs. Their coworker Marv pokes his head over the divider wall and shushes them. Cas nods an apology, then laughs quietly when Marv disappears and Dean mocks him silently before he rolls back to his desk.

_Secret Santa, Day 3_

“Dude, check it out,” Dean calls, beckoning Cas to his side. “Geeky office supplies!” He holds up Harry Potter pencil wands and cubicle pins. “Somebody knows me really well.”

Smiling softly, Cas picks up a pencil and waves it around. “Handy for when you’d like to magically make our staff meeting disappear, which we’re going to be late for if you don’t move your ass.” He taps him on the head. Dean swipes it from his hand.

“Yeah, yeah. What’d you get?”

Cas glances at his desk. “Jelly beans.”

“You hate jelly beans.”

“I’m aware.”

_Secret Santa, Day 4_

Dean walks into Cas’ cubicle with a steaming mug of coffee. “Dude, check it out!” He holds up his new mug for Castiel's inspection. “Lego mug! Came with blocks and everything!”

“Hmm. Nice. You seem to be enjoying it,” he observes with a smile. Castiel takes the mug in his hands and turns it, eyeing it from all sides. He pauses. “Dean, do you want to be fired for sexual harassment?”

“What?”

“This?” He points to a design Dean made with the blocks.

“It’s a sword!”

“It looks like a penis.”

“I think you’re seeing what you wanna see,” Dean grins, jostling Cas with his elbow.

Cas surreptitiously eyes Dean from head to toe. “Perhaps,” he concedes.

_Secret Santa, Day 5_

“Fancy-schmancy coffee from that new place we wanted to try!” Dean exclaims. He takes a sip. “Ugh, dude, it’s perfect. Try it.”

“I don’t even like coffee.”

“You’ll like this. It’s sweet and foamy and shit.”

“Well, it sounded good until the shit,” Castiel teases as he accepts the cup from Dean’s hand.

“You think you’re so funny and cute,” Dean retorts.

“Well, I don’t know about cute, but funny, yes.” He takes a sip from the paper cup. “It’s still coffee. Better coffee, but still coffee.” He hands it back to Dean and doesn’t think about Dean’s lips having been on the same lid that he just touched. He’s too mature to be titillated by such things. He should be, anyway.

“You don't like it? Really? Well, we’re gonna find you a coffee you like, Cas.”

“I’m happy with my teas. Besides, it’s your gift. It’s most important that _you_ like it.”

“I want us to be coffee buddies,” he pouts. “Side by side sharing coffee every day, huh? How cool would that be?”

Cas regards him, calm on the outside and forlorn on the inside. _Very cool_ , he thinks, though he’s certain Dean isn’t thinking the same thing Cas is. “You know, we could be tea buddies.”

Dean purses his lips in thought and eventually says, “I’m willing to try. Tea. You know, if you drink it with me.”

Dean’s acting oddly flustered, but Castiel says simply, “I’d be happy to drink tea with you, Dean.”

_Secret Santa, Day 6_

“How was your weekend?” Dean asks as he drops his things onto his desk.

“The usual excitement. Yours?”

“Meh.” He settles into his chair and quickly unwraps his latest gift. “Hey! Remember we were just talking about these not too long ago?” Dean grins at Cas, waving the newest gift he’s discovered on his desk. “Mad Libs!”

“Something to do at lunch,” Cas grins back. “Save me from your dating horror stories.”

“Hey, not fair! I haven’t gone out with anyone in forever!”

Castiel pauses. It’s true that he hasn’t heard about anyone lately—in several months, actually. The first couple of months he worked here, when he was dating what’s-his-face, Dean talked about the women he saw nearly every Monday, but recently there’s been no talk of any of that. “I stand corrected,” he says.

“I should really get together with my Secret Santa,” Dean muses aloud. “They seem to know me well.” Dean side-eyes him and raises his brows. “What do you think?”

Castiel swallows thickly. How to respond? “I’m sure anyone would relish the chance to date the great Dean Winchester,” he settles on. He wipes his clammy palms on his pants.

_Secret Santa, Day 7_

“Alright, I’m definitely asking my Secret Santa on a date,” Dean announces loudly at lunch. A full lunchroom turns toward him. Cas stares at him, blank-faced.

“What’d ya get?” Dean’s friend Benny asks from a couple of seats over.

“Date night stuff,” he grins. “A sushi-making kit and a couple of Pilsner glasses.” Cas licks his lips nervously and gulps his water, staring down at his sandwich. He didn’t expect this outcome. His stomach flips.

“Beer and sushi—nothing better, brother,” Benny grins. “You oughta be begging that Santa to go out with ya.”

“I will if I have to,” Dean jokes. Cas is certain that the begging won’t be necessary.

_Secret Santa, Day 8_

“What’d your date get you today, Winchester?” Benny asks as Cas and Dean sit at the conference table for their weekly team meeting.

“Good stuff to prepare for the date,” Dean jokes as he describes his latest gift—a honey facial mask and luxurious shave cream.

“Someone’s gonna love touching your pretty face.”

“I sure hope so.”

Cas says nothing as he focuses on the pad of paper in front of him. He definitely doesn’t think of touching Dean’s pretty face.

“What did you get, Cas?” Benny asks.

He swivels his head toward his coworker. “A bag of coffee,” Castiel answers.

Dean pats him on the back. “Wish your Secret Santa knew you as well as mine knows me,” Dean says.

Castiel smiles softly. “On the bright side, you now have a new bag of coffee,” he says to Dean before sipping his cup of tea and asking Benny about his family, effectively changing the subject.

_Secret Santa, Day 9_

“I can’t wait for tomorrow, man,” Dean whispers to Cas so they don’t disturb Marv.

“Dying to have your Secret Santa revealed?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to ask them out,” Dean says earnestly with a vulnerability Cas hasn’t seen from his coworker before. “I hope they’ll say yes.”

Touched by his sincerity and nervousness, Castiel can’t help but lay a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” he assures him.

“Hope not,” Dean smiles, looking up at him. “Never done this before.”

“Well, at least there won’t be any sneaking around. You announced your intentions to everybody,” Cas chuckles.

“Right,” Dean agrees. Castiel lets his eyes linger on Dean’s face before he turns away to check his email and get his day started.

_Secret Santa, Day 10_

Dean takes extra care getting ready for work today, shaving with the delicious-smelling shave cream from his “Secret” Santa. His Secret Santa didn’t make himself all that secret. That’s okay, though. It gave Dean the perfect opening to see if Cas might be interested in a little more.

He whistles as he slips into tight-fitting dark jeans and a red Henley that is both festive for today’s Secret Santa reveal and a little sexy when the buttons are undone. He wears the C3PO socks because Cas bought them, and he slides his feet into a pair of new casual dress shoes that are still a little tight instead of his beaten-up older ones. He knows he doesn’t really need to make a good impression, but he wants to.

Dean’s always been attracted to men as well as women, but never found one he wanted to date, so he kept that attraction mostly to himself. It was easy to date women, and they tended to flock to him, so why rock the boat? But his boat was rocked as soon as Cas Novak sat his hot ass down in the cubicle across from him nine months ago. He probably could’ve handled Cas’ looks (he’d had a hard-on for a hot ass before), but then he got to know him—dry-witted, socially awkward, grumpy Cas, who could either smite you or make you soup, depending on the day or his mood or who you are. He actually did make him soup, twice—once when he came to work sick and he gave him the “emergency” can he kept in his desk (it was disgusting and Cas apologized, saying “I had no idea it was so bad,” and he ate half of it so Dean wouldn’t suffer alone) and again the next day when Dean was still sick and Cas brought him some soup he made at home (which tasted much better). Yeah, once Dean got to know him better, he was a goner. He was totally psyched when he found out Cas is gay, but immediately bummed because he was dating someone at the time. Though that’s long since over, Dean’s never told Cas he’s bi—not until today. Not that he’ll need to make a grand statement about it. Like Cas said, he announced his intentions to ask his Secret Santa out to everybody. Cas has obviously figured it out.

His phone buzzes as he parks at the office. It’s a text message from his brother, Sam— _good luck, man, let me know how the date goes_ —which makes him feel good but really nervous at the same time. Yes, Cas is his Secret Santa, and no, he didn’t seem against the idea of Dean wanting to ask his Secret Santa out, but still. Everyone knows his plan. He’s gonna feel like an idiot if Cas says no. _Me and my big mouth_. He texts _thanks, will do_ back to Sam before he looks into his own eyes in the rearview mirror. “You got this,” he murmurs.

He waltzes into their little part of Cubicle Land to find Cas already there, sipping on tea from that fancy place he got Dean’s coffee at last week. “How’s their tea?” Dean asks, going for casual as he perches against his office mate’s desk.

“Quite good,” Cas answers, smiling as he looks up at Dean. He offers it up. “No shit in it.”

“Ha ha, you’re so funny, asshole,” Dean snipes, though he loves Cas’ sense of humor. He takes a sip. It’s a lot less leafy than he expected. “Not bad. Not quite like licking the forest floor, but close.”

“You like it,” Cas says, swatting Dean’s arm with his long, elegant fingers. “I can tell.”

“You got me,” he answers, throwing one of his hands up in surrender while he takes another sip of the tea. “Ready for the big reveal today?”

“You’re just like a little kid, I swear,” Cas comments. His smile is warm. Dean feels a little hot.

“I’m excited, what can I say? I get to find out who my Secret Santa is and thank them for all of the cool, thoughtful things they gave me. Maybe with sushi and beer at my place?” He flashes Cas a hopeful smile.

Cas returns his smile, averting his eyes and fiddling with his hands. “That sounds very nice,” he says.

Dean pats him on the shoulder and lets his hand linger for just a second longer than usual before he pulls away. He sits at his computer and pretends to be busy while he thinks about their date. Anyone passing by would probably think he’s a little too happy about his work, judging by the stupid grin he knows he’s wearing.

At noontime the employees gather in the large breakroom for the potluck and Secret Santa reveal. Dean finds that, for once, he’s much too nervous to eat. He’s not sure why—Cas as much as told him yes to their date—but it’s still nerve-wracking, especially in front of everyone. He notices Cas isn’t eating much, either.

“Alright, let’s get started!” their boss, Jody, calls loudly. Dean and Cas are positioned across from each other, the announcement having been made just as Dean decided to snag a bottle of water on the other side of the wide table to give his hands something to do. Benny starts. He opens his final gift, then his Secret Santa (Maddie) is revealed. He hugs her in thanks and they move on. One by one, Santas are revealed. Cas’ Secret Santa is Bart. Figures. Bart doesn’t try too hard to do anything for anyone.

“Okay, Dean, you’re up!” Jody shouts. Most of the coworkers gathered around them start talking about Dean’s proclamation earlier in the week. He grins to mask his nervousness as he unwraps his final gift: a t-shirt with a cartoon depiction of his Impala on it. It’s awesome. Friggin’ Cas knows so much about him, and they’ve never even hung out outside of work. That’s about to change. He shows his t-shirt to everyone with a huge smile on his face, stopping on Cas, who’s smiling softly back at him. He swallows hard, anxious to hear Jody say his name officially so he can run into Cas’ arms.

“And your Secret Santa is… Lisa!”

_Lisa? Lisa? No, no, no…_

“Hey, Dean,” she smiles and wiggles her fingers.

Woodenly, he walks to her and hugs her, stunned. He was wrong. How was he wrong? And he opened his big fat mouth and… _shit_. He glances at Cas, just two people away. Cas is clapping and still smiling, like his lips are frozen like that. “Thanks for everything, Lisa,” he murmurs, trying not to tear up.

“You’re welcome!” She backs up so they can see each other better. “So, you still good for that date?” she asks with raised brows.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Tonight? After work?” he asks, plastering a smile on his face. She seems surprised but agrees, though Dean can’t imagine anyone more surprised than him right now. He keeps the smile on his face as he backs up and gives her a little wave before returning to his spot across the room. _Fuck._

Marv is up next, and Cas is his Santa. The guy is an arrogant prick, but he seems sincere when he approaches Cas and shakes his hand. Dean remembers that Marv mentioned his Santa gave him a classic paperback every day, which he loved (“finally, someone who understands how to give a _good_ gift,” he’d heard him say). Cas is always so observant and thoughtful, even of people he doesn’t care for very much. Dean thinks Cas is the only one who could have possibly pleased the conceited douchebag.

The last few employees’ Santas are revealed and the event wraps up. Dean shuffles to the door slowly, still trying to figure out where he went wrong. He was so _sure._ He bumps into a solid mass with… gorgeous hands. Gorgeous eyes. _Damn_. “Are you alright, Dean?”

“Yeah!” he says, too enthusiastically if Cas’ incredulous expression is any indication. “Beat, though. It’s been a long week, you know? Been doing lots to get ready for Christmas. Probably gonna leave early.”

“Don’t you have your date after work?”

Dean stares at him. He must have overheard. “Oh, yeah, right, of course. Forgot already, heh. Told you I’m beat. Uh, guess I’ll grab some coffee and power through and, uh, yeah.” He backs up and pours himself some of the strong stuff in a boring paper cup instead of his Lego one (that was apparently from Lisa, not Cas).

“Okay…” Cas scrutinizes him. “Are you sure you’re alright? I thought you’d be more excited.”

“Yeah, no, totally, I just… coffee. Work.” He walks ahead of Cas to his desk and pretends to get absorbed in the pile of papers in front of him.

A while later, Cas approaches him and places a hand on his arm. “I’m heading out early, Dean. Have a great weekend.”

Dean dares to look up at him. He’s so gorgeous today in his deep green sweater and caramel-colored pants that hug him just so. _Just so_. “You too, man,” he manages.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your Secret Santa gifts. I’ll miss your excitement on Monday.”

_I was hoping for another reason to be excited on Monday._ “Yeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you then.”

Cas smiles at him. It looks a little sad. _Man, I must look pathetic_. “Good night, Dean,” he says, squeezing the arm he’s still holding before he lets go and leaves. Dean watches him, his heart pounding with every step Cas takes. _It should’ve been us tonight_.

At 5:00, Lisa peeks around the wall of his cubicle. “Hey, Dean, ready when you are!” she chirps.

“Alright, let me shut everything down.” He closes out his files and powers down his computer, then shrugs into his coat and digs out his keys. “Where would you like to go?” he asks as they make their way to the parking lot.

“How about the pizza place around the corner?”

_Our place… the place Cas and I go for lunch. Great._ “Sure,” Dean agrees.

They walk into the pizza parlor and wait silently for a table. When they’re seated and their cups of water are poured, Lisa says, “I’m so glad you enjoyed your Secret Santa gifts. It was so cute to see you so happy.”

“Huh, yeah, you did a great job.” He forces a smile onto his face. “Wearin’ the socks today, as a matter of fact.” She laughs as he lifts his pant leg. “And, uh, the shave cream worked well.”

“I see that,” she grins. She reaches out and smooths a petite hand down his face. He’d hoped for a larger hand with short fingernails tracing his features.

The waiter arrives and she takes the liberty of ordering: two extra-large pizzas, one supreme and one veggie, and sticks with water for the both of them. Okay, then.

“So,” she says after a few minutes of small talk, “when are you going to admit that you thought Cas was your Secret Santa?” She folds her hands and tucks them under her chin.

Dean freezes. “Uh…” He stares at the old wood table, where someone has carved _fuck_ into the surface. Pretty much sums up his mood.

“Dean, come on. He knows you better than anyone else at the office. I mean, that’s why I went to him to help me with your Secret Santa gifts.” Dean’s mouth gapes open in understanding. “So why wouldn’t you assume it was him? I would’ve.”

“I… I did, um... yeah, I assumed it was him.”

“Which means, of course, that he’s the one you wanted to take on a date.”

Ruffling his hair, Dean sighs, “I… I’m sorry, Lis. This is… I messed up. It’s not personal, I swear.”

She smiles, a pearly white path of understanding stretching across her face. “Dean, I tried to get your attention for, what, a year before I gave up? Then Cas waltzes in a few months ago and he’s all you can look at. I get it. You like him. So go get him.”

Dean’s mortification dissipates, replaced with hope. “Yeah?”

“I’m taking the veggie pizza home for me and Ben and my mom. You’re taking the supreme pizza to Cas’ place. We’ll take those to go,” Lisa says as the waiter returns. The waiter darts his eyes back and forth between them before walking off with the pizzas, looking confused as hell.

Exhaling the tension he’s been feeling all afternoon, Dean says, “Thank you, Lis. Really.”

“You’re welcome,” she says warmly. “You know, I kept waiting for you to say it was a mistake, that you thought Cas was your Santa.”

“I didn’t want to humiliate you. That wouldn’t have been fair to you.”

“That’s sweet, and I appreciate that. But I am _not_ one to stand in the way of true love.”

The waiter brings back their pizzas in boxes, along with the check. He’s grateful to have something to do to hide the blush rushing into his face as he digs out his wallet for his credit card and hands it over. “We’re, ah, I mean we’re not...you know.”

“Maybe not yet,” she interrupts, rescuing him from his fumbling, “but it won’t be long.” She grins as she stands and takes the veggie pizza, then slips him a piece of paper. “Cas’ address. I snagged it from Marv in accounting. He was feeling unusually generous,” she snickers. “Good luck. I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Lisa,” Dean smiles widely as he waves goodbye to her. He signs the bill the waiter brings back and tucks his credit card into his wallet. Then, with a deep breath, Dean scans the address in his hand and heads out.

After stopping for a six-pack, Dean drives to a little neighborhood a few miles from work. Cas’ house is a cute ranch-style place with a small yard in the front. He’s not sure how this is going to go, so he parks in the street rather than the driveway and walks up the short path to the front door. He sets the beer down just long enough to knock, then shifts from foot to foot until the door opens. Cas stands there in paint-speckled gray sweatpants, a thin black t-shirt with a frayed collar, and thick socks. “Dean?” he says, surprised but not unwelcoming. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought it was you,” he blurts. “I thought you were my Secret Santa. And I know this isn’t sushi, and I know we’re at your house and not mine, but I thought maybe pizza and beer at your place would still be a cool date? I mean, if you want.”

Dean watches Cas’ reaction play out like a movie on his face—confusion, understanding, surprise, and finally… a smile as he takes the pizza, then Dean’s hand. “Sounds like a great date,” he answers, drawing him into the house.

_One year later_

“Secret Santa reveal! Come on!” Dean grins at Cas around the corner of his office door. Castiel and Dean both moved out of Cubicle Land and into their own offices months ago.

“Yes, I know, darling,” Castiel laughs. His boyfriend still loves the tradition. Castiel could still take it or leave it. Mostly leave it.

“Don’t be a stick in the mud, Cas.”

“I’m not!”

“Just because you didn’t like the cans of soup you got...”

“It was that disgusting one we never buy anymore. Besides, soup is a strange gift,” he defends himself as they make their way to the lunchroom.

“You liked the tea, even though there were only two bags,” Dean reminds him.

“Yes, of course…”

“And the two sticks of gum, and the two slices of pizza…”

“Yes. My Secret Santa certainly likes things in pairs.”

They arrive in the lunchroom and Cas’ eyes scan the spread. Cas isn’t surprised to see no less than five slow cookers filled with meatballs. Every potluck needs meatballs. It’s some sort of potluck rule. Dean always piles his plate full of them at every company potluck, though they’re strangely absent today. In fact, he doesn’t have anything. “Not eating, babe?”

“Nah, not yet.”

Cas frowns at him, scratching the hair at the nape of his boyfriend’s neck with affection and concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just not feeling meatballs and pasta salad today.”

“I can’t say I blame you,” he says. He grabs the salad tongs and fills his plate with greens.

“Alright, let’s get started!” Jody calls out. Cas brings his attention to the front of the room. “Dean, why don’t you start us off?”

Dean’s Secret Santa is Charlie, a new employee in the IT department with whom Dean became fast friends. Charlie didn’t even need Cas’ help figuring out little gifts for him. Santas are gradually revealed until it’s Cas’ turn. He picks up a large, extremely light box and unwraps it to reveal… a pizza box. It feels empty, but he peeks inside just to make sure. A piece of paper is glued to the inside of the lid.

“Read the note out loud,” Lisa says from his right side, a hand on his shoulder. He smiles at her—is she his Secret Santa?—and reads:

_Cas,_

_Everything’s better when shared… tea, nasty soup, pizza… life._

_Will you share the rest of your life with me?_

_Love,_

_Dean_

Cas whips his head around until he finds Dean on one knee, a small box with a bow on it in his hand. “Cas,” he whispers, “will you marry me, babe?”

“Dean,” he whispers back, falling to the floor and kissing him with everything he has. “Yes.”

The lunchroom erupts in applause as Dean kisses him again, and Castiel decides this Secret Santa thing isn’t so bad after all.


End file.
